Kawhi Leonard's Spurs Future Depends on Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili: Byron Scott

Former NBA head coach Byron Scott believes Kawhi Leonard could still remain with the San Antonio Spurs but it may be dependent on whether Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili stay with the side next season.

Leonard featured in just nine games during the 2017/2018 season after suffering a quadriceps injury in January and would miss the rest of the season in the process, including the side's first round series exit to the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs last month.

It was reported in March that his teammates, notably Parker and Ginobili, were frustrated with his prolonged absence in a players-only meeting while head coach Gregg Popovich also seems unaware of when he could actually make a comeback.

There are also rumors of a strained relationship between the 2014 NBA Finals MVP and the Spurs front office as Leonard continues to rehab in New York, with speculation building that he could be heading for the exit sooner rather than later.

ESPN reported last week that the San Antonio franchise were planning a summer meeting with Leonard as they hope to resolve all their differences. In addition, a decision will be made on whether the 26-year-old, whose contract expires following the end of the 2019/2020 season, will be given a $219 million supermax extension.

However, the latest from ESPN is that the Spurs fear Leonard's group are hoping to further fray the relationship between the two parties in an effort to get "traded to a larger market such as Los Angeles (Leonard's hometown) or New York or Philadelphia."

Scott believes Leonard and the Spurs need to fix things promptly and that if anyone can do it, it is Popovich. The $219 million supermax extension is a start but the three-time NBA champion feels the chances of him staying will be greater if Parker and Ginobili do not return as players next season.

Parker notably suggested that he suffered a worse injury than Leonard and returned in a short amount of time while Ginobili stated the Spurs were playing as if Leonard was not returning — comments that drew heavy criticism from former player Stephen Jackson.

"It sounds like they're a million miles apart right now," Scott said on The Jump. "Obviously, we know how great Pop is as a person and as a coach and if anybody can get this thing back on track with Kawhi, it's Pop. We know that."

"I think they're going to end up having a discussion over some of the things that both parties want to get out and I think it can be resolved. I still think he has a chance to be in San Antonio but I think there’s going to be a couple of things that have to happen," he said. "Number one, they’re going to have to offer him that $219 million contract right away, they can't take a penny off of that. Number two, I think they’re going to have to address two team-mates: Manu and Tony Parker, who might not be there anyway."

"But, if they're talking about coming back, that might be a problem with Kawhi because those guys said some things in the locker room that wasn't pretty cool and I'm sure Kawhi wasn't very happy about it. I think that’s one of the reasons that he separated himself from the team," he added.

If the Leonard situation isn't resolved soon, what is guaranteed is he will have no shortage of potential suitors during the offseason.